Straw-stacker.



PATENTBD JULY 18 1905.

w. E. WITT STRAW STAGKER.

APILIOATIOR FILED APR. 14,1904.

3 sums-sum 1.

Httornegs ANDREW I4 Gamma 90.. umcenlmzns. wAsHmcwN, a. c.

PATENTBD JULY 18, 1905'.

w. B. WITT.

STRAW STACKBR.

APPLICATI ON FILED APR. 14, 1904.

3 SHBETB-SHEBT 2.

Attorneys Auulew & mnuu 00., umoanunzu. ItmHmm'nw D. a

No. 794,763. PATBNTED JULY 18. 1905.

w. E. WITT.

STRAW STAGKBR.

#PPLIOATIOH rmm APR. 14, 1004.

3 8HBETS-SHBET 3.

Attorneys ANDREW B, hum; m. LIYNOGRAPHEIS. VIASHINGYON, n. c

NITED STATES WILLIAM EGER WITT, OF COLWICH,

Patented July 18, 1906.

PATENT OFFICE.

KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH STRAW-STACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l-atent No. 794,763, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed April 14,

a To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, 1V ILLIAMEGER WITI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Col- 'wich, in the county of Sedgwick and State 'of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Straw-Stacker, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to straw-stacl ers for threshing-machines and grain-separators.

The invention relates more particularly to that class of straw-stackers in the construction of which is included an endless carrier adapted to receive the straw from the threshing-machine and to convey it to the place of deposit. By the present invention the endless carrier is combined with a tubular spout within which the upper lead of the carrier travels, so that the material carried thereby will be protected from the wind and other disturbing influences during its transit to the place of deposit.

The object of the invention is .to provide a carrier of this class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency, in which the carrier shall be jointed, so that the outer porwhich the entire carrier shall be mounted to swing or oscillate as upon a pivot to enable the material to be discharged at any desired point within a wide range, and in which means shall be provided whereby the carrier shall be automatically moved or swung from one side to another while in operation, so that the stack shall be built up gradually and evenly.

With these and other ends in view the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

1n the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being understood, however, that.

I do not necessarily limit myself to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but reserve the right to such changes, alterations,

1904. Serial No. 203,199.

I and modifications as come fairly within the $0 scope of the invention and which may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a straw-stacking apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the turn-table and related parts. Fig.

3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of a portion of the endless carrier. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the conveyer-tube and the endless carrier, showing a modified construction of the latter. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing the lower extremity of the carrier and related parts. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7 7 in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail view of aportion of the endless carrier shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9

is a sectional detail view taken on the line 9 9 in Fig. 6.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated bysimilar numerals of reference.

The support for the improved straw-carrier consists of a frame the side pieces of which, 1 1, may be in the nature of extensions of side beams of the casing of a threshing-machine in connection with which the device is to be used. These side beams are connected by means of cross-bars 2 3, the crossbar 2, which is the nearest the ends of the side pieces 1 1, being connected with the latter by means of obliquely-disposed braces 4 1. The cross-bars 2 and 3 are connectedintermediate of the side pieces 1 1 by means of short framebars 55, which serve to brace the structure and also to support mechanism which will'be 9 hereinafter described.

6 designates a segmental bed-plate which is supported securely upon the cross-bar 2 and upon the braces 4 4 and which forms a seat or track for a segmental member 7, which is in the nature of a turn-table capable of sliding or moving upon the track or bed-plate 6, said turn-table member being provided on its inner edge with teeth 8, so thatit practically constitutes asegmental rack. The bed-plate 6 is provided with a shoulder or offset 9, whereby the segmental rack is kept to its seat, said rack and bed-plate constituting each about two-thirds of a circle, so that they will be constantly in engagement with each other, no matter what position may be assumed by the turn-table. The rack-bar 7 is spanned diametrically by a cross-bar 10, the ends of which are supported by means of brackets 11, resting upon the rack-bar, as shown in Fig. 3, and supported above a groove 12, formed in the upper side of the latter. The ends of the cross-bar 10 are equidistant from the extremities of the rack-bar. The latter, it will be observed, is not necessarily provided with teeth the entire length thereof, but only for a suflicient length to enable the purposes of the invention to be carried out. The extremities 13 of the bar have been shown void ofteeth. I

The frame-bars 5 5 are provided .with boxes 14:, forming bearings for a shaft 15, which extends at one side of theframe and carries a belt-wheel 16, whereby it may be driven from any suitable source of power. The shaft 15 .carries between the supporting members 5 5 a pair of bevel-gears 17 and 18, which face each other, as shown, and both of which are in engagement with a bevel-gear 19, mounted upon "a shaft 20, for which suitable bearings are provided, said shaft being obviously disposed at right angles to the shaft 15. The bevel-gears 17 and 18 are loose upon the shaft 15 and are provided upon their inner faces with clutch members, (designated, respectively, 21 and 22.) That portionof the shaft 15 which is disposed between thebevelgears 17 and 18 is non-circular in cross-section, and upon the said non-circular portion is mounted a doublefaced clutch member 23, capable of engaging either of the clutch members upon the bevel-wheels 17 and 18. It is evident that the double clutch member 23 will rotate continuously with the shaft upon which it is mounted. By moving the said clutch member into engagement with the clutch member 21 upon the bevel-gear 17 the bevel-gear 19 engaged by the latter will be rotated in one direction, while the bevel-gear 18 will .rotate loosely upon the shaft 15. By shifting the position of the clutch member 23 until it engages the clutch member 22-upbn the bevel-gear 1 8 the direction of rotation of the bevel-gear 19 will be reversed and the bevel-gear 17 will rotate loosely upon the shaft 15. When the clutch member 23 is disposed intermediate of the clutch members upon the bevel-gears 17 and 18, the shaft 15- will rotate freely in the ,hubs of said bevelgears 17 and 18, but no motion will be transmitted to the bevel-gear19 and to theparts connected therewith. i

The shaft of the bevel-gear 19 has an extended end, for which a suitable boxing is formed in the cross-bar 2. Said shaftcarries a spiral thread or worm 24:, which engages a pinion or worm-gear 25, mounted upon the lower end of a shaft 26, whiehis disposed vertically and bearings for which are provided in brackets 27, suitably secured to the upper and under sides of the cross-bar 2. The shaft 26 carries near its upper end a pinion 28, which meshes with the teeth of the segmental rack-bar 7. It follows that when the shaft 20, carrying the bevel-gear 19, is rotated motion is transmitted to the segmental rack-bar, which combines with the cross-bar 10 to constitute a turn-table, the direction of rotation being capable of being reversed by shifting the position of the double clutch member 23. For the purpose of causing the direction of rotation to be automatically reversed at the proper moments a shifting-lever 29 is provided,-said shifting-lever being of an approximate U shape, having a longv arm 30 and a short arm 31, which latter is bent or offset and bifurcated, as shown at 32, to engagean annular groove 33 in the double clutch member. The short arm of the shifting-lever is confined in a loop or keeper 34: upon the cross-bar 3,

the cross-bar 5, is connected by a spring 36 5 witha pin 37 upon the long arm of the shifting-lever, said long arm extending across the segment-rack 7 in the path of a pair of suitably-disposed pins 38 and 39, which are suitably connected with said rack-bar. When this portion of the device is in operation, motion will be transmitted by the worm 24 at a comparatively slow rate of speed to therackbar 7, which will move upon its track or bedplate until one of the pins 38 or 39 engages the long arm of the shifting-lever and, until the latter is forced against the tension of the spring 36 past a dead-.center with relation to the bracket 35, when the contractile action of the spring will complete the movement of the shifting-lever and throw the double clutch member 23 to the opposite end of the noncircular portion of the shaft, thereby causing the direction of rotation to be instantly reversed,as will be readily understood. Thelimit of the movementof the turn-tablewill thus be determined by the relative positions of the pins38 and39, each of which by engagement with the shifting-lever will cause the direction of rotation to be reversed.

The cross-bar 1 0 is connected with the body of the segmental rack-bar 7 by means of metallic braces 10, forming a solid and rigid portion of the-table structure. The cross:b ar 10 is provided with brackets 40, affording bearings for a shaft 41, carrying a roller or belt-carrying wheel 4:2 of suitable dimensions. The cross-bar 10 also supports a band-wheel 43, which is mounted upon a vertical stem ,or shaft 44 and the upper edge of which has a bevel-gear 45. Between the hand-wheel 43 and the cross-bar 10 is interposed a metallic plate 46, the ends of which are bent toform braces'47 and 48. Bearings are provided hetween said braces for a shaft 49, carrying a bevel-gear 50, which meshes with the bevelgear 45, connected with the band-wheel 43. The braces 48 also have bearings for a shaft 47, carrying a belt-su pporting wheelor roller 5], corresponding with the roller 42 on the shaft 41, and each of the shafts 41 and 47 carries a sprocketwheel 52 and 53, said sprocket-wheels being connected by a chain 54. Motion may be transmitted from the shaft 49 to the shaft 47 by a chain 48*, connecting sprocket-wheels 49 and 50 'upon said shafts, or by other approved means.

55 designates a tubular chute which is cornposed of a bottom board 56 and a sheet-metal inverted trough 57, the edges of which are suitably secured to the edges of the bottom board 56. said bottom board and inverted trough cooperating. to form a conveyer-tube or chute. The lower endof the bottom board is supported upon brackets 47 and 48, which are firmly bolted to the under side of the bottom board. The lower end of the chute or conveyer-tube has an expanded hopper-shaped portion 58, adapted to receive the material discharged from the straw carrier of the threshing-machine, which latter is provided with a hood suitably constructed and adapted to discharge into the funnel-shaped hopper. By this construction material may be discharged from the threshing-machine without being exposed to the wind, and this part of the device may be obviously altered or modiiied to [it various machines in connection with which my improved straw-stacking apparatus may be used. The conveyer-tube 55 is extended upwardly and rearwardiy for a suitable distance, and it is connected at its upper end with an adjustable chute-section 60, consisting of a bottom board 61 and an invertedtrough-shaped casing 62, forming a continuation of the chute 55, with which the said ex tension is hingedly connected by means of strap-hinges 63, connecting the adjacent ends of the bottom boards. The section 55 of the conveyer chute or tube is supported from the deck of the threshing-machine or from some suitable fixed point by means of guys or braces 64. The adjacent ends of the chute-sections 55 and 60 are connected by a flexible joint constructed in any well-known approved manner of a plurality of interengaging tapering members 65, thus permitting material to pass from one chute-section to the other, no matter what may be the relative position occupied by said members.

Pivotally mounted upon the ends of the pintle 66, connecting the hinge-strap 63, is. a depending yoke 67, the arms of which are provided upon their inner sides with studs 68, upon which belt-supporting pulleys 69 are journaled. The outer sides'of the arms of the yoke 67 are provided with laterally-extending studs 70, engaging slots 71 in curved braces 72, which are pivotally connected with the edges of the bottom board 61 of the chutesection 60. A belt-supporting roller 73 is also mounted upon ashaft66, supported by brackets 73, connected with the ends of the hingestraps 63.

The proximate ends of the chute-sections 55 and 60 are provided with upwardly-extending brackets 74 75, at the upper ends of which are mounted pulleys 76 77.

78 designates a hoisting or adjusting rope, one end of which is attached near the upper end of the bracket 74, from which it is guided over the pulley 77 at the upper end of the bracket 75, thence over the pulley 76 at the upper end of the bracket 74, and thence over the reel or winding-d rum (not shown) located at any suitable point and upon which the said rope may be wound for the purpose of elevating the outer or upper chute-section 60. The drum may be omitted, and any other suitable means may be provided for pulling in or paying out the adjusting-rope 78 for the purpose of adjusting said chute-section, the slotted braces 72 serving to steady the movement of the chute or conveyer whenthus adjusted and also to adjust the yoke 67 when the outer chutesection is raised to cause the belt-supporting pulley 69 to properly engage the carrier-belt. The slots in said braces will also admit of the outer chute-section being folded against the inner or lower section when desired.

At the outer or discharge end of the chutesection 60 is mounted a flexible hood 80 of suitable construction. This hood is capable of adjustment by means of an adjusting-rope 81, connected with the outermost member of said flexible hood, as shown at 82. This adjusting-rope is guided over guiding means 83 and 84, connected with the brackets 75 and 74, respectively, and is carried to asuitable point of attachment, which may be in the nature of a winding-drum or any other wellknown means.

The bottom board 61 of the conveyer-section 60 is provided at its outer end with brackets 85, affording bearings for a shaft 86, carrying a belt-supporting roller 87.

The carrier of this device is composed of an endless belt 88, moving over the rollers or supporting members 42, 51, 73, and 87 and having its lower lead supported upon the belt-pulleys 69, connected with the inner sides of the arms of the yoke 67. This belt is provided at suitable intervals with transversely-disposed metallic straps .89, having upturned edges 90, which are spaced from the edges of the belt in order that the latter may travel uninterru ptedly over the supporting-pulleys 6.9. Pivotally connected with the upturned edges 20 are teeth or spikes 91,

. the latter. 7

which: are provided with angular: extensionsv or feet 92, which whenthe teeth are in araised or operative position upon thealpper lead of the belt will supportthe teeth inws'uch -posis;

tion, as will be readily understood. The teeth which are upon the upper-dead of the belt:

will be free to vibrate and will normallyassume a perpendicularposition.-: .By this construction of the teeth it is foundthatthema-" terial passing through the convey er will be morereadily ejectedat the discharge end 1 In Figs. 6, 7, and-8 has beenillustrated a. modified form of the endless 'carrierjwhich under some vcircumstances may be deemedv preferable to that which has been-described. Under this modification the endless belt, which I is here'designated 95, is provided with'aazplu rality of interengaging links 96,- securedcentrally tothe under side ofvsaid'belt: between,

,. which extend through the belt-and which also serve to hold plates or strips 98, d-isposedrcentrally upon the upper or outer surface of the belt. Theplates or strips 98 have upturned the edges-thereof and secured by means of rivets 9.7 or other suitable:fastening'means;z

3 edges .99, which are; provided with'diverging fingers 100,- extending. upwardly'iwithin the conveyer-tube, as do. the fingers 9-1 in the con- 'struction hereinbefore described. The fingers;

100 may be .formed integral with the-flanges 99, or they may-be: constructed .wseparately and riveted or.otherwisesecured to-rsaid flanges, the object being to so constnuct: and

arrange the parts asto afford a '(lUIflbl6"d6- vice capable of resisting any reasonableusage.

modate the links uponthe under side'of the It is obviousthat in order to accombelt the bottom boardlOl of=the conveyer tube, which is here designatedr102, must bev provided with'acentral groove, as-shown at tary elements which supporttheendless belt It is also'obviousthat the se-veralrromust besimilarly grooved, or they'may beinthe nature of-sprockets adapted tocooperate 1 with the chain-links upontheinner side of the belt, said chain-links being; if desired, 'sufficiently spaced apart for thispurpose or specially constructed withzthis end in View.

From the foregoing description,ltaken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed,

the operation and advantages of. tlliS'inrVBntion will be readily understood by those skilled" in the art towhich it appertains. =:-Material discharged from the threshingsmachinewill passthrough the'funnel or-hopper 58 directly to the conveyer, the teeth of the endless car-- conveyer and to eject it at the discharge end: thereof. During the operation of thedevice the stacker-chute will partake of an oscillatory movement, whereby: the material passing through it will be discharged. over a considerable area,-1this.operat1on belng performed -rier serving to 'carry it along-through-said.:a

automatically by-the 1 mechanism 4 herein described. It is-obvious that the hood 5'9 and .thehopper 58 must be provided, respectively, with a dischargeand a receiving opening, which must be'cir'cula-rand concentric with thevaxi-s upon which the conveye-r moves.

T-his is important inorder that the operation of the device may-not be interfered with. Movement may be transmitted to the endless .carrier from any suitablesource of power belted to the vertically disposed .:pulley 4. 8.

'= The braces47 and 48, adjoiningsaid pulley,

: will prevent the beltfrom slipping.

-Having thus described my' invention, I claim 1. In a device of the class described, a turntable, means for imparting to said turn-table anoscillatorymotion, a band-wheel supported axiallywith relation to said -turn-t'able, a :strawcarrier mounted upon the latter, a :bevel-wheel connected with said band-wheel, a transversely-disposedshaft having a pinion engaging said bevel-wheel, and means for w-t-ransmittingmotion from said shaftto the upturned ends forming brackets,--a shaft supported-upon: said brackets, a-belt-carrying roller upon said shaft, means for transmitting motion to. said shaft from the vertically-disposed pulley," brackets depending from the crossbar,-a shaft journaled in said brackets, a belt-carrying roller'u'pon-said shaft, sprocket- ;wheels upon the shafts of the' belt-carrying rollers, a chain "connecting said sprocketwheels,=a-conveyerchute connected with the brackets extending from the plateinterposed between'the cross-bar and the vertically-disposed pulley, rotarybelt-supporting means connected with said chute, an endless carrier mounted uponsaid belt-supporting means-and upon the belt-supporting rollers, supported by the brackets connected with the cross-bar oftheturmtable, and means-for transmitting motion from the source of power to the vertically-disposed pulley uponth-e cross-bar of the turn table.

. 3; In adevice of-the-class described, anoscillatory turn-"table, chute supported upon said turn-tableandhaving at'i'ts lower end a icircular inlet concentric with-the axis of the turn-table, means for-feeding material through said inlet, and--an endless carrier having its upper lead guided through said chute.

4, In a 'device of theclass-described, an oscillatory turn-table, a chute supported upon said turn-table, anendless carrierhaving its upper lead guided through said chute, and rotary supporting means for the lower lead of said carrier connected adjustably with the chute. I

5. In a device of the class described, a conveyer-chute comprising a plurality of sections jointed together, rotary supporting means at the upper end of the upper section, at the intersection of the sections, at the lower end of the lower section, and below the lower end of the lower section, a yoke depending from the pintle of the joint between the sections, rotary supporting means upon the inner sides of the arms of said yoke, and an endless carrier mounted to engage the several rotary supporting means, the upper lead of said carrier being supported upon the bottom of the chutesections and the lower lead of said carrier being supported upon the rotary supporting means connected with the yoke.

6. In a device of the class described, aconveyer-chute comprising a plurality of sections jointed together, rotary supporting means near the upper end of the upper section, at the intersection of the sections, at the lower end of the lower section, and below the lower end of the lower section, a yoke depending from tho pintle of the joint, rotary supporting means upon said yoke, an endless carrier mounted for operation upon the several rotary supporting means, a segmental slotted arc pivotally connected with one of the sections, and a pin extending laterally from the yoke, and engaging the slot in said arc.

7. A suitably-supported turn-table, means for imparting an oscillatory movement to the same, a chute supported upon said turn-table and having a receiving-hopper provided with a circular inletconcentric with the pivot of the turn-table, rotary belt-supporting means at the ends of the conveyer-chute and intermediately in the latter, an endless carrier having its upper lead extended through the conadjusting said member and discharge-hood,

rotary belt-supporting means at the ends of said chute and interiorly of the same in alinement with the hinge-joints connecting said sections, an endless carrier having its upper lead extended through the chute and engaging the rotary supporting means, a yoke depending from'the pintle of the hinge-joints connecting the sections of the chute, rotary means connected with said yoke, engaging and supporting thelower lead of the endless carrier, and means for transmitting motion to the endless carrier independently of the means for operating the turn-table.

9. Aconveyer-chute suitably mounted upon an oscillatory turn-table, an endless carrier having its upper lead extended through said chute, supporting means exterior of the chute for supporting the lower lead of the endless carrier, and means for transmitting motion to the latter independently of the means for operating the turn-table.

In testimony that'I claim the foregoing as my own 1. have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

7 WILLIAM EGER WVITT.

Witnesses:

F. C. JoRGnNsnN, GEO. W. Know, Jr. 

